Most small business advertising is awful.
Pick up any local newspaper and turn to the classified advertising section. You will be confronted by a huge selection of yawn-inducing adverts for small local businesses. They frequently lack appeal, information, urgency, passion and most of all effectiveness.
If you want to throw your money away, do what they are doing, but if you want to make advertising work for your business, use these 10 simple ways to avoid common advertising mistakes.
1. Promote solutions, not your name
Take another look at that local newspaper. You will probably notice that a huge proportion of the advertisers make their business name the largest and boldest words in the advertisement. A potential customer is not looking for your name; they are looking for a solution to a problem they have. People buy solutions to the problems they have because those are the things that are important to them at that time.You may love your name or logo, but the reader doesn’t give a damn about it. If you want your advertisement to generate sales, it needs to stand out and grab the reader’s attention, not be an exercise in self-appreciation.
2. Be specific, not general
Again, look at that local newspaper; notice how many advertisements say things like “all kinds of work undertaken”, “no job too big or small”, “reasonable rates”, or “x, y, z, etc.” If you were looking through your local paper to find someone who could supply and fit a new shower for you, which of the two ads above would you be more likely to respond to? People aren’t looking for a “Jack-of-all-trades”, they are looking for a solution to their problem.
3. Use an attention grabbing headline
Headlines make people read advertisements. “Free chocolate today!”, “Stop dripping taps forever”, “Sparkling clean windows the easy way” and so on. Writing attention grabbing headlines is a must if you want people to read your advertisements. To learn how, read How to Write Headlines that Sell. The eBook it talks about is written by a hugely successful marketing expert, is simply brilliant and at the moment, its free.
4. Write advertisements in lower case
This is probably the biggest single mistake that small businesses make when it comes to advertising. To find out why, read Capital Punishment for Small Businesses.
5. Use simple language
Call it a “spade”, not a “landscape remodelling device”. Don’t use 30 words where 6 will do. Potential customers are not interested in the fact that you understand and use 7 syllable words on a daily basis. Language that is easy to read and understand is generally what works in advertising.
6. Write short sentences
Short sentences are punchy. They have impact. They are easy to read. They make it easy to keep reading. Get the idea?
7. Give people a reason to respond
Why should the reader call you today? They might leave it until tomorrow when they’re less busy. But we all know that tomorrow never comes. Give them a reason to act now; a discount, a special offer for this week, month etc.
8. The most powerful word is ‘free’
“Free” is still the most powerful word in advertising – use it. “Free quotes”, “Call now for a free brochure”, “Buy One Get One Free”, “Free Safety Checks” and so on.
9. End with a call to action
Tell your prospect to call, email or visit your website. It might sound obvious, but huge numbers of advertisers never do this.
10. Get some professional help
For more help with getting your advertising right, call 01263 722764 or send us an email right now – before you get side-tracked.
Related posts:
4 
32 
85